Our Services

While there is no fee for services at the Free Clinic, your donations are a vital part of our budget. We ask that you leave a $10 donation - more if you can, less if you can't.

General Medical Care

General Care Clinics are usually held on Monday and Thursday evenings. The number of appointments and services available depend on which volunteers are signed up to work that evening. Appointments may be available for problems such as minor illnesses, job physicals, asthma, urinary tract infections, and sexually transmitted infection testing and treatment.

For information on how to schedule an appointment, please call 319-337-4459. If the line is busy, please leave a message and we will return your call as soon as possible.

If you need medical care before you are able to get an appointment at FMC, you may need to seek care elsewhere. There are several walk-in clinics in the Iowa City area - see our helpful resources for more info.

Chronic Medical Care

Chronic Care Clinics are usually held on Tuesdays and Thursdays, during the daytime. Patients with ongoing complex illnesses, such as diabetes or high blood pressure, will be scheduled during these times.

Call the business line (319-337-4459) to make an appointment.

Our appointments are limited. New patients may be placed on a waiting list until an appointment is available. While you are on the waiting list please inform us if your phone number changes. We require 24 hours notice to cancel appointments.

Dental Services

The Dick Parrott Free Dental Clinic provides basic dental care to uninsured patients. Our services and hours of operation depend on the availability of current volunteers.

College of Dentistry referrals - for patients who need a tooth extraction and have Iowa Health and Wellness insurance

Limited dental hygiene appointments are available.

Please call the clinic at 319-337-4459 to ask about the availability of services. Patients may be placed on a waiting list until an appointment is available.

If you need dental care that we do not offer or before you are able to get an appointment at FMC, you may need to seek care elsewhere. There are lower cost dental clinics in the Iowa City area - see our helpful resources for more info.

Eye Care Services

We have a limited number of Ophthalmology appointments available for diabetic patients with a referral from their FMC physician.

Vouchers

We have a limited number of vouchers available to clients in need of eyeglasses. Bring in your current, unexpired eyeglass prescription and we can provide you with a voucher for free glasses from one of several optical stores in Iowa City or Coralville. As we have a limited number of vouchers each month so we suggest you call us first to make sure we still have vouchers available. If we're out, you may check back at the beginning of the following month. If you prefer not to wait for a voucher there are several other places you might check for no-cost or low-cost glasses. ReSpectacle is a non-proifit organization that tries to match people in need of glasses with a donated pair. This company is online only and you will need a current prescription. You might also look on the Zenni Optical or the EyeBuy Direct websites. They make inexpensive glasses if you can't wait until the next month.

Vouchers are non-transferable and have no cash value. They expire one week from the date they are written.

If you do not have a current eyeglass prescription we suggest you call several optician's offices to find the best price for your eye exam.

Prescription Medications

FMC is not a retail pharmacy; we are only able to fill prescriptions written by FMC physicians.

We do not stock or provide prescriptions for controlled substances.

Refills

If a doctor at FMC writes you a prescription to take to another pharmacy, such as HyVee or Walmart, contact that pharmacy for a refill. If an authorization is required, the pharmacy will contact FMC for approval. We recommend that you call when you have about a week left of your medicine, to ensure that you get your refills on time. Many pharmacies have an automated refill system so you can call even when they are closed and reorder you medication.

Patients who need refills on medications that they received from the FMC dispensary should call the Clinic at least one week before running out of medication. We will review your chart and contact you about your refill.

Medications may only be picked up during FMC Pharmacy Hours

Medication Vouchers

FMC can help patients once each fiscal year on an emergency basis with a medication voucher for no more than $50. These vouchers do not cover insurance co-pays or discounted generic medications (i.e. $4 medications at HyVee & Walmart).

Patient Assistance Programs

Patient Assistance Programs are often available through pharmaceutical companies and provide free or discounted prescription medicines to low-income, uninsured and under-insured individuals who meet program guidelines. Eligibility criteria is different for every company.

Clinic staff will help you with such things as finding a program, completing forms and working with your doctors to get the needed prescription. You will be asked to provide income documentation, such as a copy of your taxes, or recent paychecks. Please do so in a timely manner so that we can get the medications that you need as quickly as possible. Medicine will be directly delivered to the Clinic and will be provided to you at your appointments.

Patient Responsibilities

Be On Time

Please arrive 10-15 minutes before your scheduled appointment in order to fill out any necessary paperwork. If you arrive more than 15 minutes late, you may lose your appointment time and would need to talk to staff about rescheduling.

Be Patient

There are times when the volunteer doctors may be running behind schedule. As with any doctor's office, you may not be seen at your appointment time, but you will be seen.

Keep Scheduled Appointments

Please call to cancel 24-48 hours in advance if you cannot come to your scheduled appointment. Our appointments are limited, and we ask that you cancel any appointment you cannot attend so we can give it to another patient. If you do not show up to a scheduled appointment without notifying the Clinic in advance, you may not be able to reschedule.

Follow your Doctor's Advice

Take your medications as prescribed by your doctor. Request medication refills before you run out by calling the pharmacy where you got the medicine at least a week before you run out. Keep your scheduled referral appointments (for x-rays, etc) as these appointments may not be able to be rescheduled if you miss them.

Update Your Information

It is your responsibility to let us know if your phone number or address changes, as well as to provide us with emergency contact information.

Leave a Message

If you call our main telephone line and you hear our voice mail, please leave us a clear message. Speak slowly, and always include your name and a phone number. We will call you back.

Listen to Your Voicemail

We often will leave a messages when we return your call or need to get information to you. Please listen to your messages before returning our call.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you need an appointment to be seen at the Free Medical and Dental Clinic? Yes, we are an appointment-based clinic, not a walk-in clinic.

Is it really free? Yes! We ask that you leave a donation if you can, but you will not receive a bill from us, ever.

Do I need to bring a form of identification or tax documents to be seen at FMC? No, we do not require any documentation from you to have an appointment here.

How do I get to the clinic? We are located at 2440 Towncrest Drive in the Towncrest Medical Plaza on the east side of Iowa City. There is a map on our locations page. You can park in our lot, or take the Towncrest Bus from downtown to reach us. Please call us if you get lost!

Other Useful Resources

The staff at FMC is eager to help you find appropriate health care. If we can't help you, we will refer you to another organization. Following are some resources you may find helpful:

A free, confidential phone service staffed by Mercy nurses that have years of experience. The nurses have a wide variety of resources and references to help you. Mercy On Call is the place to start for your health needs and questions.

(319) 358-2767 or (800) 358-2767

Mercy On Call RNs are ready to help you seven days a week, 7 a.m. to 12 midnight.

UI QuickCare is a walk-in medical clinic available to anyone in the community. When you are ill, but don’t need an emergency room or can’t get to your regular doctor, UI QuickCare is a convenient choice open to anyone more than 6 months old. No appointment necessary.

If you cannot afford your medications you may be eligible for assistance through the pharmaceutical company that makes your medication. These programs are available to anyone, not just FMC patients. Each program has different eligibility guidelines so make sure to check each of your medicines separately.

Free, confidential HIV and Hepatitis C testing to at-risk populations in their office and at community events. They also work with other community agencies to provide vaccination against Hepatitis A and B. Please contact their office at 319-356-6038 to set up an appointment.

Healthy Kids Community Care is a school based health clinic that is an extension of traditional health services offered in the Iowa City Community School District. The clinic is open to Johnson County residents aged 0-21, through graduation age, who are without access to affordable health care (such as no insurance or a high deductible).

To make an appointment please call the Clinic Coordinator at (319) 631-3204

The clinics provide comprehensive and referral dental services. Patients requesting student care are first evaluated by faculty dentists in Admissions. Pre-doctoral students are carefully supervised by faculty. Your contribution to the educational program results in a reduced fee.